About

Paul has assisted Clients with their financial decisions since 1998. As an advisor, Paul brings his excellent communication skills to the table as he helps Clients envision their financial futures and guides them towards achieving their goals.

He enjoys giving back and getting involved in his community. Throughout the years, he has held the President position at the following organisations:

• Huron Waves Music Festival
• the Rotary Club of Grand Bend
• the Grand Bend and Area Chamber of Commerce
• the South Huron Chamber of Commerce.

Paul and his family live in beautiful Grand Bend. In his spare time, Paul enjoys creative writing, as well as teaching and studying karate.

For over 30 years, Fred watched his grandfather and father help their friends and neighbours build lifetime financial security. In 2006, Fred joined the family business. Always a problem solver, it motivated Fred to see opportunities for businesses to grow while protecting the resources that matter the most. Fred discovered he loved the challenges of creating a financial plan and the satisfaction of watching Clients succeed.

When Fred isn’t working, he offers his time and energy to the local community, volunteering. He loves spending time outdoors with his children, whether skiing in winter or at the lake in summer.

Katelyn comes from a long line of women entrepreneurs. She is following in the footsteps of her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother. She understands what a difference it can make in people’s futures by simply educating them on their options. That’s how she decided on a career in financial planning. Katelyn quickly achieved the designations of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) and Certified Life Underwriter (CLU®). Katelyn focuses on working with business owner Clients. She helps them protect their businesses, their employees and their families.

In her spare time, Katelyn is busy keeping up with her young family. She also volunteers in the community and enjoys spending time with friends and family at the lake.

Devin grew up on a farm, and was a successful small business owner for 10 years. Then he decided to enter a financial planning course at one of Ontario’s top colleges. Upon graduating, he was hooked on bridging the gap between financial literacy and financial health among Canadians. He focuses on helping small business owners and their families in his local community. Devin became an advisor in 2014 and quickly achieved his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) designation. Devin’s goal is to help Clients understand their financial options so they can make informed and educated decisions about their financial future.

When not working with Clients, Devin is a full-time dad and devoted husband.

When Owen began his career in financial services in 2019, he quickly realized that working with Clients to help them achieve their financial goals was a deeply rooted passion. He is passionate about working together with fellow business owners, neighbours, friends, and family to collaboratively create a financial strategy they are confident in.

Owen has been a resident of Exeter since 2010, and enjoys being part of this close-knit community. Through his time building his life here in Exeter and volunteering as a member of the Board of Directors for the Huron-Perth Children’s Aid Society, Owen has made lifelong friendships and connections.

You are likely to see Owen out walking his silver lab Odis through Exeter neighbourhoods during the week. On the weekend, you’ll find him anchored off the beach at Grand Bend or enjoying the family cottage on Manitoulin Island.

Paul Van Gerwen, affectionately known as PVG, is a financial planning veteran of 30 years. In 2022 he merged his business with GC Financial. PVG enjoys all aspects of estate and financial planning. He likes helping Clients contend with financial challenges and make the most of financial opportunities. He keenly keeps abreast of the latest developments in investing and finance. Devoted to lifelong learning, PVG holds his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) designations. His wisdom, experience, and caring approach to advising Clients are a great fit for our team.

In his free time, PVG enjoys spending time with his family, the great outdoors (golfing and fishing), travelling, and honing his skills as a musician.

We welcomed Julie to our staff in 2022 to support our existing team. She brings over a decade of experience in the hospitality and customer service sectors, and is passionate about building long-term relationships and providing an exceptional experience for Clients.

Julie lives in Stratford with her husband and toddler. You will often find her cheering on the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Blue Jays together with her family.

We welcomed Raquel to our staff in 2024 to further support our growing team. She came to us with nine years of experience in the hospitality industry, three of which were spent in beautiful Kelowna, British Columbia. She has a passion for cultivating personal connections with Clients and is always ready to spark up a conversation especially if it involves Canada’s west coast.

Raquel lives in Listowel where she was raised and is happy to be back living in a smaller community. She is happiest when surrounded by friends and family, or playing a team sport. When she does take a moment for herself, you can find her reading a book, watching terrible reality TV, or earning the trust of her family’s foster cats so they can find their forever family.

We welcomed Sarah to our staff in July 2024 to support our existing team. She brings nearly 15 years of experience in the health care industry. Sarah is extremely professional, organized, and understands the importance of confidentiality. She is highly motivated and ready to take on new challenges.

Sarah lives in Blyth with her husband, son, and triplet daughters. She loves being outdoors with her family and family dog, Luna. You will often find her at an arena or baseball diamond cheering on her children. 

Bridget joined our team in 2013, and has been an integral part of our growth and change over the last 10+ years as we became GC Financial Solutions Group. Bridget focuses on insurance, and has a passion for assisting Clients to discover the best possible coverage for them and their families to add protection to their financial strategy.

Bridget can often be found reading a good book, cheering on her two sons at the hockey rink, or out and about Exeter with her husband and their dachshund, Buster.

Jaime joined our team in 2023 in the role of Advisor Assistant. Jaime’s background in the insurance industry brings great value to our team, as she specializes in customer service and quality control, with the utmost passion toward helping Clients achieve financial security for themselves and their family. She plans to utilize these skills to support our ever-growing insurance business.

Jaime lives in London with her husband and toddler. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, practicing yoga and mindfulness, and caring for her pets.

Pam joined our team in 2020 to support our Group Benefits and Group Retirement business. Pam has spent most of her career in various roles in the banking industry as well as serving as plan administrator/HR assistant for a local manufacturing/distribution company.

Outside of the office, Pam can be found at various sporting events for herself and her 3 busy kids! Pam and her husband live outside of Blyth on their family farm,

Julie joined us in 2015 and brings almost two decades of professional experience in personal banking. Her exceptional organisational skills and customer service ensures Clients are handled with care and consideration. She specializes in investments.

Lilly joined our team in June 2021 as a Service Associate specializing in investments. Highly experienced in the financial industry, Lilly is pleased to bring her knowledge and customer service experience to GC Financial.

Lilly grew up in the small town of Markdale, Ontario and recently moved to Zurich, Ontario.

We welcomed Shae to our office in 2022 to provide further support to our team. Shae focuses on investments. Her unique work experience, and an educational background in business reinforce the foundation of service for Clients. She is currently pursuing further education in the field of human resources. As an Exeter native, she is passionate about providing exceptional customer service to Clients in her community and beyond.

Outside of the office, Shae keeps busy with her two dogs, Maverick and Goose. A shared love of the outdoors means you will often find them on a hike or enjoying a swim at the beach.

Kristen joined the office in 2017. Kristen works with the ownership team to manage the day-to-day operations of our dynamic financial services team. She enjoys supporting a team committed to constant improvement and innovation.